Afghan Veterans in the US Face Uncertain Future As Work Permit Expirations Loom
It has been estimated that around 85,500 Afghan nationals arrived in the United States when the U.S. military withdrew from Afghanistan in August 2021,[1] including about 10,000 to 12,000 members of the Afghan National Strike Unit, known as “Zero Units,” a clandestine counterterrorism force created by the Central Intelligence Agency (“CIA”) to gather intelligence and carry out covert, lethal missions against Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants.[2] Many of these former fighters are now facing a number of difficulties, namely, the expiration of their two-year work permits in the U.S., leaving many of them to worry they will no longer be able to support themselves or their families.[3]
The Zero Unit veterans are eligible for Special Immigrant Visas, or SIVs, that are reserved for Afghans and Iraqis who worked for the U.S. government during the wars in their countries.[4] The visas are supposed to grant them legal permanent residency and a pathway to U.S. citizenship.[5] Most of them, however, have not received an SIV, which can take years to process,[6] and many have yet to receive a letter from the U.S. government confirming their past clandestine work, which is essential for advancing their applications.[7] Indeed, standard questions on Green Card applications, such as “Have you ever received any type of military, paramilitary, or weapons training?” severely disadvantage Zero Unit veterans who answer “yes” to that and similar questions sans a confirmation letter from the U.S. government.[8] A staff shortage within the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has not helped the situation either.[9] Without an SIV, the veterans cannot apply for Green Cards, which leaves them in a veritable “legal limbo.” [10]
As a consequence, many Afghan veterans in the U.S. have been struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts.[11] One former unit commander has said, “[w]e are losing our minds… We’re mentally and physically tired.”[12] As of August 2023, at least two Zero Unit veterans have committed suicide since arriving in the U.S.[13] Given how indispensable these veterans were to the U.S. in Afghanistan, such a woeful misapplication of SIV laws, or the lack thereof, could signal to future volunteer fighters in other countries that the U.S. government’s word is not its bond, which would be disastrous not only for U.S. national security but also for the country’s reputation abroad generally.
No matter what one may think about the merits of the SIV program, in the final analysis, it is undisputed that Zero Unit fighters demonstrated unwavering loyalty to their American counterparts and invariably risked their lives protecting Americans during our longest war.[14] When the Afghan government collapsed in August 2021 and the U.S. military began its evacuation, Zero Unit fighters escorted American civilian personnel and members of NATO from their homes through the bedlam of Kabul airport.[15] A former U.S. government official said of the Units, “[t]here are dozens of instances where they put themselves in the line of fire to save Americans.” [16] A former CIA officer who worked closely with the Units said, “[t]hese are veterans who should be celebrated in America.” [17]
The very least the U.S. can do now for the veterans of Zero Units is give them what they were promised: a better, permanent life in this country.[18] Such a course of action would bolster the reputation of the U.S. as a nation that welcomes coordination, cooperation, and coexistence with individuals abroad who hope to exchange their services for the “American dream,” and thus, in turn, bolster the U.S. government’s ability to navigate an increasingly treacherous world of international relations.
Danny Yoo is a staff member of Fordham International Law Journal Volume XLVII.
[1] See Antonio Olivo, They Helped the CIA In Afghanistan. Now They’re Suffering in America, Wash. Post (Apr. 13, 2023), https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/04/13/afghan-fighters-zero-units-cia-refugees/.
[2] See id.
[3] See De Luce, Afghans Who Fought In Secret CIA-Trained Force Face Legal Uncertainty In the US, NBC News (Aug. 29, 2023),
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/afghans-fought-secret-cia-trained-force-face-legal-uncertainty-us-rcna102105.
[4] See Olivo, supra note 1.
[5] See id.
[6] See De Luce, supra note 3.
[7] See Olivo, supra note 1.
[8] See De Luce, supra note 3.
[9] See Olivo, supra note 1.
[10] See De Luce, supra note 3.
[11] See Olivo, supra note 1.
[12] See id.
[13] See De Luce, supra note 3.
[14] See id.
[15] See Olivo, supra note 1.
[16] See id.
[17] See De Luce, supra note 3.
[18] See id.
This is a student blog post and in no way represents the views of the Fordham International Law Journal.